Communication & Family Participation
School Phone Use
Although Explore aims to have as much communication as possible with its families, we cannot guarantee that messages from families will be able to reach students or teachers during the instructional day. Teachers often don’t check email or text messages until after 3:45 p.m.
Students may not receive incoming phone calls during the school day unless it is an emergency that requires immediate attention. If it is an emergency, please call the main office number and leave a message with the Front Desk Attendance.
Students will not be able to make calls from the class telephones. In the event of an emergency, students may be allowed to use school telephones, or a staff member’s cell phone, at the discretion of school staff members.
Student Mobile Device Use
Students may have “silenced” cell phones and mobile communication devices stored in their backpacks during the school day. The use of these devices during instructional time without the permission of the teacher, or in a disruptive manner in the school setting is prohibited. Cell phones and Mobile Communication Devices that ring, vibrate excessively, or in any other way disrupt the educational process of school, are grounds for confiscation of the device by school staff or personnel and pick up of the device must be arranged by a caregiver.
Examples of unacceptable usage or disruptive behavior with mobile devices can include but are not limited to: in restrooms or hallways during instructional time, bypassing school staff to make outgoing calls, taking pictures or videos, using phones in places of school business, etc.
In alignment with the above listed policy on searching content in school grounds, contents of cell phones may also be reviewed and searched if there exists a reasonable suspicion that it may have been used in an activity prohibited by our handbook. The student and family assumes all risks for lost/theft/or damage to the device(s) in bringing such devices onto school property or to school related functions.
Teacher Contact
Parents are encouraged to communicate with their child's teacher. Teachers are available for phone calls before and after school from 7am to 7pm. Messages may be left for teachers with the Office Manager during the school day or on each teacher’s class voicemail after the school day. Please leave your name and your child's name, a phone number and time you may be reached, and a brief message regarding the reason for the call. Teachers will return a parent’s call within 48 hours. Please remember that messages will not be received until after the instructional day ends. Teachers are also available through their Explore email address (first initial, last name @Explore.school).
Parents should contact their child’s teacher directly with questions about academic progress as well as behavior.
Parents can contact the main office directly for any of the following issues:
- Information about your student’s records (ex. updating contact information etc.)
- Visits or volunteering
- Attendance issues
- Calendar and schedules
- Food
Teachers will list their contact information, including phone numbers and email addresses in the introductory letter to students’ families during the first week of school.
For safety reasons, we must be able to reliably get in touch with student’s caregivers. It is caregivers’ responsibility to promptly update the school with any phone and/or address changes.
Home-School Communication
We will be using Bloomz and One-Calls for the majority of our school communication. The Principal will send regular (weekly to bi-weekly) updates and will send the same information via One-Call. We will reserve sending home physical flyers for families who request that as their preferred form of communication and will limit formal communication to these two mediums. The same information will be shared on the school Facebook page and other outlets, but the One-Calls and Bloomz posts will be the official source for up to date information about Explore
Families are encouraged to check your child’s folder each afternoon for valuable moments sheets, homework, flyers, notices, reminders, and other written communication from school staff that may not be able to be sent via these virtual communication means.
In addition to school leadership posts on Bloomz, teachers will also be required to post to Bloomz weekly to ensure families are informed about what is going on in classes for the week. Families without access to Bloomz can subscribe to Remind 101 which is a text messaging app for information and updates. Remind 101 is best used for class or grade level updates since each classroom teaching pair cannot use the One-Call feature.
All school staff members have 48 hours to respond to emails or phone messages. Any urgent requests can be made to our front desk attendant and s/he will expedit as needed according to the circumstance.
Family Feedback
There are four formal ways that families can offer feedback to Explore
- 2 School Focus Groups (One in the Fall and in the Spring)
- Curriculum Summit
- End of Year Survey
- Feedback@explore.school
In addition, you can always feel free to share ideas, questions, and concerns with your Explorers’ teachers, via email to school leadership, and to your Family Advisory Council representatives. We are always looking to grow and improve. Your feedback helps us to do that.
Family Nights, Breakfasts, and Weekend Events
Explore will host a variety of family nights, breakfasts, and weekend events throughout the school year. All families will receive detailed information about these events at least two weeks prior. Events will include:
- Exhibitions of Learning
- Academics Night
- Curriculum Summit
- Field Day
- Gratitude Breakfast
- Camping Trips
Meeting with Teachers
If you would like to meet with your child’s teacher outside of the regularly scheduled conference, you must make an appointment. An appointment can be made by calling the school and speaking with or leaving a message for the teacher directly, as well as by emailing the teacher. Caregivers should not expect to meet with a teacher without a prior appointment. Because our teachers are teaching from 8:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., meetings should take place before or after school.
Volunteer on Campus
We encourage families to volunteer time on campus. To ensure that we make best use of parent time and efforts - and that we limit disruption to our instructional program - all classroom volunteers must abide by the set of guidelines below.
- Schedule your volunteer time in advance. School leaders and teachers are responsible for preparing and also delegating work to family volunteers. In order for school staff to prepare for a volunteer’s time and productivity on campus, all family volunteers must be scheduled in advance by connecting with your child’s teacher. Please make sure to check in with the Main Office when you arrive for your scheduled volunteer time so that you can receive a Visitor’s pass. Visitors are expected to wear their visitor’s pass throughout the entire duration of their visit to Explore.
- Limit talking to, engaging with, or disciplining students – including your own – in classrooms. Students are expected to remain focused on their learning while in school. Volunteers should allow the teacher to lead all aspects of the instructional program, and not discipline students, including their own.
Family Advisory Council
The Family Advisory Council is a committed, action-oriented group of families with a focus on strengthening the school program through school events, fundraisers, community outreach, and other initiatives. It is open to any parent, guardian or adult family member who wants to work collaboratively with other parents and school staff and make measurable additions to the school program.